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Monday, June 30, 2014

Hey everyone! Today I have one of the new polishes from the KB Shimmer second summer collection. Both collections (early summer and late summer releases) include some fantastic colors and glitters, it was soooo hard to choose just a couple and not spend my entire bank account balance!

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use.

KB Shimmer Sea You Around

Sea You Around is a vivid green jelly with teal undertones and loaded with silver, fuchsia, and light blue circle and hex glitters in various sizes, light blue square glitters, and holo micro glitters. It is probably one of the most epic jelly glitters in my stash. Formula was good, considering the amount of glitter in the bottle. This is two coats with a little glitter dabbing for better placement. And as always with this type of polish, finish with a good thick and shiny top coat to smooth out all the glitter and give it a high shine. I used the KB Shimmer Clearly On Top for these pictures.

(Macro)

The rest of the KB Shimmer late summer release is just as impressive and drool worthy and I can guarantee that several more will be making their way to my helmer in the very near future!

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Hey guys and gals! Welcome to the Twinsie Tuesday post! This week's theme is food or beverage, and since I am in a definite summer mindset, I did something inspired by my favorite summer drink - pink lemonade!

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Hello wonderful friends! How is your weekend? Mine is immensely better after yesterday. I am sadly, extremely nearsighted and my glasses broke last Sunday night. I resorted to wearing a really old pair of contacts but they felt horrible so I have been going with out all week. I finally got to see my optometrist yesterday and have a brand new pair of contacts and will be getting my glasses very soon! Let me tell you it is no fun walking around in a hazy blurry world! I couldn't even paint my nails! As soon as I got home yesterday, I remedied that and did a little stamped mani with an idea I have had floating around for a while.

It's funny how an idea can translate so perfectly sometimes (and horribly fail others!). I saw a set of nail wraps on my IG feed a few weeks ago that were white with blue detailing. The simple color play was incredibly eye catching and I knew I wanted to recreate the look with some stamping. And for the finale touch, I even used my matte tc, which I always forget about. The final result is pretty damn awesome, if you all don't mind me saying so! I am still wearing them and don't want to take them off! But I have my next Twinsie Tuesday mani to plan for. Sigh... But it will be fun!

Hope you all have a great rest of your weekend! And be thankful if you don't have to worry about your vision. It can be a huge pain sometimes!

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Hey y'all! Today is kind of a special post. I have been invited to join the Twinsie Tuesday nail art group! I have so many feels right now! The group is comprised of enormously talented ladies that I have been inspired by since I first started nail art. So each Tuesday, I will be participating in the nail art prompts with the rest of the group. Today is my first post as part of the group, and I hope I do my fellow TT ladies proud!

Today's prompt is Summer Lovin'. Aside from the immediate Grease reference (what can I say - huuuuge musicals dork!), I thought of a sunset on a beach.

Used:

KB Shimmer - In Bare Form

(Accent)

O.P.I. - MBSW (as a base for gradient)

O.P.I. - Hey Baby

O.P.I. - Where Did Suzi's Man-Go

O.P.I. - I Just Can't Cope-Acabana

Born Pretty heart stud

Make up Sponge

I really love how the gradient turned out. O.P.I.'s blend so well and I kinda want to use them all the time now! Plus the nude/neon or bright combo so fun for summer mani's.

So I hope you guys liked my first Twinsie Tuesday post, and please be sure check out the rest of the blog posts from the group!

Monday, June 16, 2014

Hey friends! Hope you all had a great weekend! Since it was Father's Day, we spent the day with my f.i.l. and my husband's family. It was a really nice and relaxing day, and I got my first sunburn of the summer. Not so good, but fair skin and Texas summers do not mix!

Today I have a really fun glitter perfect for summery manicures! Loaded Lacquer is a newer Indie brand that has really taken off! When I saw the first line of polishes my friend Casey Lane swatched I was totally blown away. It took me a while to get a polish because they sell out super fast, but it was so worth the wait!

Wasabi With You? is a glitter topper with small chartreuse green square and teal holo hex glitters in a clear base. I don't have a whole lot of glitter toppers in my stash, mainly because I am super picky about glitter mixes. But this, I love! It is so simple and so perfect. Formula was good with an even distribution of glitter. I used the dab and spread method for application and had no trouble getting glitter out of the bottle. I used 1.5 coats for the swatch photos. It does need a little extra top coat to smooth it out, and I used 2 coats of Glisten & Glow.

(Macro)

Heather, the creator of Loaded Lacquer has such a fantastic sense for color and presentation. It is no wonder Loaded Lacquer has become so popular so quickly! And she is based out of Texas! I may be slightly more biased when my home state is involved!!!

Be sure to check out the restock info if you are looking to score yourself a bottle, as she updates frequently. I plan on picking up a few more myself, when the next one happens!

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use. All opinions are my own. For more info, please read my disclaimer.Loaded Lacquer is available on line. Products retail for $10 a piece.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Hello lovely people! As promised, I have the second new shade from the ahhhhmazing Takko Lacquer! I have gotten a bit of inquiries about this one already, so without further delay, here is the revamped version of Blue Flamingo:MIA!

Please Note: Products shown were sent to me by the company/creator for review purposes.

Takko Lacquer Blue Flamingo:MIA Revamp

Blue Flamingo:MIA Revamp is a reformulated version of the previous released Blue Flamingo:MIA. I unfortunately don't have the original, so I can't do a side-by-side comparison for you guys, but you can check it out in Rie's post on Nails and Noms. The revamp is a creamy sky blue with amazing pink shimmer and a subtle holo finish. While it is different than the original, I think it still captures the essence of it rather well. And it is a seriously gorgeous shade for summer! The shimmer, while annoyingly camera shy, is very visible in different lighting and the holo peaks out in the sun. Formula was fantastic as always with 2 smooth coats for full opacity. It dries to a satin finish, so be sure to use a good shiny top coat! I used Glisten & Glow for my pics.

(Macro in Sunlight)

I am so totally smitten with the revamped version! I'm sure you guys are probably tired of me gushing over all the takkitos, but really, they are polish perfection. So set your alarms for the restock on June 15th and be quick with the purchase because they go ridiculously fast!!

Please Note: Products shown were sent to me by the company/creator for review purposes. All opinions are my own. For more info, please read my disclaimer.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Hello friends! I hope you all are having a fantastic week! I am starting to feel my blogging mojo coming back, so I'm hoping that I will be posting more often. I know every blogger/nail artist goes through creative slumps now and then. So thank you all for still commenting and reading! I will be posting nail art soon!

But before that, I have some awesome Takko freshies ( as my friends Amy McPolish calls them!) to share with you guys! The first one is a brand new shade, called Babycakes, that will be making it's debut in the Takko Lacquer shop on the next restock, June 15th!

Please Note: Products shown were provided by the company/creator for review purposes.

Takko Lacquer Babycakes

Babycakes is a dusty rose pink with gold shimmer and a very strong linear holo. I'm not usually a pink fan, though there are a few pink polishes that have managed to win me over. But this one I love! Babycakes is such a feminine and flirty shade with just the right amount of dustyness, not to mention that hella awesome shimmer and holo, it's impossible not to love it! Formula was stellar as well! It is almost a one coater. I did add a second coat to amp up the shimmer and holo, though if you paint with thicker coats, you may only need one.

(Macro in sunlight)

Once again, I am bananas over the new takkitos and blown away by the superb and consistent formula, as well as the excellent color mixing. It's no wonder the restocks are crazy!

I have one more Takko to share this Friday. Blue Flamingo:MIA has been revamped and it is to die for!!!

Please Note: Products shown were sent to me by the company/creator for review purposes. All opinions are my own. For more info, please read my disclaimer.Takko Lacquer is available on line. Products retail for $13.00 a piece. Available for International customers via Llarowe and Mei Mei's Signatures (prices vary).

Friday, June 6, 2014

Hey y'all! Today is the last post of the Fashion Friday Color Trends for the spring and summer 2014 season! And I am totally wrapping it up with a bang! I will be bringing it back in just a few months when the fall and winter colors are released, so don't worry!

But today's post features a sunny yellow shade Pantone dubbed "Freesia." It is fun and bright and a great color to round out the palette. In the world of nail polish, yellow is a dubious color. One that many polish lovers swoon over, but are often left disappointed by the lack luster formulas, either horribly thick and chalky or watery, thin and streaky. The perfect yellow polish is almost a myth. But O.P.I. has put all others to shame with the gorgeous sunshine yellow of I Just Can't Cope-Acabana.

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use

O.P.I. I Just Can't Cope-Acabana (The Brazil Collection Spring/Summer 2014)

I Just Can't Cope-Acabana is a bright true yellow - neither too warm or too cool, it is a balanced shade that will work with a variety of skin tones. I honestly can't help but smile when wearing this shade! And it gets even better. The formula is amazing! Two smooth coats with no issues at all. No streaking, no watery mess. Perfect consistency.

It is great as a stand alone shade and one that is very on trend for a bright summery look. But it is perfect for nail art!!! Seriously, this is the best yellow on the market, color tone and formula. Do not let this one pass you by!

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Hello friends!! Happy Wednesday! Summer break is here and I am so ready for some fun! As much as I love my free time when the girlie is in school, I am so looking forward to having time to sleep in and spend some extra time with her. I can predict a lot of nail polish parties in our future!

Today I have a lovely Hare Polish to show you all, another one from The Coin Operation collection from last fall. I already have Read My Biorhythm and Zoltar Speaks from the same collection and super excited to add Test Your Love to it!

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use.

Test Your Love is a raspberry jelly loaded with gold, silver and iridescent micro flakies. The color is fun and has just enough squish to be interesting. Combine that with the flakie mix and it is a flat out stunner! I can't believe it took me this long to get it! Formula was great and from what I remember, pretty much the same as the previous two from the collection that I have. Because of the jelly base, it is on the sheer side, but not terribly so. Three coats for full opacity with a smooth application. It dries to a satin finish, so be sure to add a shiny top coat!

So now I just need one more to finish the collection - Peepshow Magique, and the hoarder that I am is determined to grab it! But other than that, Nicole has been cranking out some true beauties lately and the shop is selling out quickly! So next time you are browsing the Hare Polish listings on Etsy, don't hesitate to put one of the lovely bottles in your cart!

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Hello everybody! Hope you are all having a great weekend! Normally you would find a Sunday Stamped post up today, but I have something a little different for you guys! I have been selected as Nail Artist of the Month over at The Little Canvas blog! This is a huge deal for me, I have secretly wanted to be featured on Alaina's blog for like ever! Here is a quick look at the mani I did for the post.

For all the details and inspiration, you are gonna have to read the post on The Little Canvas! So enjoy, and be sure to check out the previous featured artists as they are all pretty amazing! Happy Sunday!!!